Process of reducing ores.



No. 786,051. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905. D. R. ROBERTSON.

PROCESS OF REDUCING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. so, 1904.

WITNESSES.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sxxm. K

UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

DENNIS RICHERD ROBERTSON, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO.

PROCESS OF REDUCING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,051, dated March28, 1905.

Application filed August 30, 1904. Serial No. 222,722.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DENNIs RIoHERD RoB- ERTSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Leadville, in the county of Lake and State ofColorado, have invented a new and Improved Process of Reducing Ores, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to processes for separating the values of ores,placer-dirt, sand, and other materials, it being particularlyapplicableto those containing gold, silver, and copper. Its objects areto provide a ready method of effectively releasing and recovering thevalues.

It consists in the various steps hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a broken top plan view of a portion of an apparatus whichmay be employed in carryingout my process. Fig. 2 is a broken sectionalelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section therethrough. Fig. 4cis a broken top plan view of another portion of such an apparatus. Fig.5 is a longitudinal section therethrough, and Fig.6 is a transversesection of the same.

To aid in carrying out my improved process, I preferably provide a tank10, usually of heavy sheet-iron, at the upper portion of which aresupported baskets 11 of some suitable perforated or reticulatedmaterial. Through these baskets passes a rod 12, which may be moved inany desired manner to reciprocate the baskets. This tank 10 is partiallyfilled with water, preferably for about half its depth, and for thetreatment of a ton of material there is mixed With and dissolved in itone fluid ounce of ammonia, one pound of saltpeter or potassium nitrate,and five pounds of rock-salt or crude sodium chlorid. The baskets arethen started in motion and the material, in such a finely-divided statethat the values are released, is slowly fed into them and, passingthrough the openings, is uniformly distributed through the fluid. Aftera certain time, preferably about an hour, there is added to the contentsof the tank iron salts in the form of one pound of sulfate of iron andiron oxid, this latter preferably consisting of iron-water to the amountof five gallons, which has been previously made by covering scrap-ironwith water and permitting it to stand for twenty-four to forty-eighthours, and also an acid, for which I prefer to employ nitric acid, oneounce. The mixture is then simultaneously agitated and heated by forcinginto it for about thirty minutes hot air, introduced by branch pipes 13,extending downward at intervals alongeach side of the tank and leadingfroma main pipe 13. These branch pipes preferably have their lower openextremities spaced alternately at different distances from the bottom 14of the tank to more effectively distribute the agitating effect. Themain pipes are connected to a suitable compressor or other source of hotair. The tank is next covered for an hour or two, and when the cover isremoved it will be found that the free metal will have been caused tocohere and is floating upon the surface. The contents of the tank isagain agitated for, say, ten minutes, whereupon these values will beprecipitated upon the pulp at the bottom of the tank. After resting forhalf an hour the liquid is drained off through asuitably-plugged openingat 1 1, and suificient cold water is introduced to cover the solidmaterial. This is let stand for a sufficient time to cool, when theWater is drawn off and the residue is ready for washing. For thispurpose I have shown a tank 15, which may be of any suitable size andmaterial and contain a series of receptacles or pans 16, preferably ofsheet-iron and of inverted-frusto-conical shape. These receptacles aresupported upon standards 16, rising at intervals from the inner frame orbottom 17 by a ball-and-socket or similar joint 18.' From the oppositeedges of each receptacle at the top are converging arms 19 19, connectedto collars 20, surrounding a rod 21, extending longitudinally of thetank, and which may be reciprocated laterally in any convenient mannerto oscillate the receptacles. The pulp carrying the reduced metal isplaced in the receptacles and suflicient water introduced into the tankto cover it. The washing is then thoroughly done by oscillating thereceptacles for a sufiieient length of time. When this has been properlyaccomplished, the liquid is Withdrawn from the tank through a pluggedopening 22, and the pulp is transferred to a suitable drier and thecontained moisture driven ofl. he material is now ready for smelting orother treatment to secure the values.

The ammonia employed in carrying out my process softens the Water; thepotassium nitrate prevents the escape of gases and fumes which inmetallurgical operations carry off so large a proportion of the values;the rocksalt assists in retaining the heat; the sulfate of iron acts asa precipitant and the iron-water and nitric acid as purifiers, and thesetogether, in association with the increase of temperature, release themetal from the gangue and then cause it to be deposited upon the pulp.

It should be noted that by my process the values are not only verycompletely recovered, but that it acts simultaneously to separate thegold, silver, and copper contained in the material.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The process for reducing ore, which consists insubjecting the finely-divided material in the presence of water to theaction of a sodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating themixture, adding salts of iron and an acid and again agitating, allowingthe mixture to rest, and removing the separated values.

2. The process for reducingores, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action of asodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating the mixture,adding salts of iron and an acid and again agitating, allowing themixture to rest and the values and pulp to separate, precipitating thevalues upon the pulp, and washing this solid matter.

3. The process for reducing ores, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action of asodium salt and a potassium salt. heating and agitating the mixture,adding salts of iron and an acid and again agitating, allowing the mix-,

ture to rest and the values and pulp to separate, precipitating thevalues upon the pulp,

draining and cooling this solid matter, and

then washing it.

4. The process for reducing ores, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action of asodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating the mixture,adding salts of iron and an acid and again agitating, allowing themixture to rest and the values and pulp to separate, precipitating thevalues upon the pulp, draining and cooling this solid matter, thenwashing it, and finally dryingit preparatory to smelting.

5. The process for reducing ore, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of soft water to the action of asodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating the mixture,addingsalts of iron and an acid and again agitating, allowing themixture to rest, and removing the separated values.

6. The process for reducing ore, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action ofammonia, a sodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating themixture, adding salts of iron and an acid and again agitating, allowingthe mixture to rest, and removing the separated values.

7. The process for reducing ore, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action of asodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating the mixture.adding sulfate of iron, iron-water and an acid and again agitating,allowing the mixture to rest, and removing the separated values.

8. The process for reducing ore, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action of asodium salt and a potassium salt, heating and agitating the mixture,adding sulfate of iron, ironwater and nitric acid and again agitating,allowing the mixture to rest, and removing the separated values.

9. The process of reducing ore, which consists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action ofammonia, saltpeter and rock-salt, heating and agitating the mixture,adding sulfate of iron, iron-water and nitric acid and again agitating,allowing the mixture to rest, and removing the separated values.

10. The process of reducing ore, which con sists in subjecting thefinely-divided material in the presence of water to the action ofammonia, saltpeter and rock-salt, heating and agitating the mixture,adding sulfate of iron, iron-water and nitric acid and again agitating,allowing the mixture to rest and the values and pulp to separate,precipitating the values upon the pulp by agitation, and washing thissolid matter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DENNIS ltlUllElil) ROBERTSON;

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM R. ,KENNEDY, S. C, LYON.

